As I Looked Around I Began to Notice We Were Nothing Like the Rest
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: "Are you serious? Is this just some sort of joke to you? You better get that scarf now." Alice is not amused by Chloe's lack of preparedness and focus before the ICCA championship.


**Disclaimer: **Characters aren't mine; dialogue you recognize isn't mine. Title comes from the song "Mountain Sound" by Of Monsters and Men

**A/N: **So I sorta shamelessly stole this from the people I follow on tumblr. Apparently Chloe's disappearing act in the very first scene of the movie was one of the most common unanswered questions about the whole movie and I always tried to figure out what was going on there every time I watched the movie. So this is was the best I could come up with. I know some of the dialogue is different but call it artist license, I guess. Enjoy!

**"And as I looked around I began to notice  
That we were nothing like the rest"**

Just so we're clear, the day starts off bad and gets worse. It's the morning of the ICCA finals and they're in New York City and it's supposed to be the day that the Barden Bellas become the first all female acapella group to take home the first place trophy. At least, these are the things that Alice Townsend has been telling her Bellas in the weeks leading up to their arrival in the Big Apple. Only her words sound a little more like _that trophy better be ours. Don't f this up, ladies_. Of course when she says those words, her eyes fall on Aubrey Posen and Chloe Beale, like they're the ones responsible for every horrible thing that has ever happened in her life. Chloe once overheard Alice talking to some of the other Bellas about the two lower classmen. _Everyone has their own special set of challenges_, she'd said with a pout. Alice: always the martyr.

Chloe is much better at ignoring Alice and her insanity than Aubrey, who seems to be under the misguided belief that if something goes wrong today it's going to be her fault. This is all Chloe has heard from her best friend and roommate since they won the semi-finals and received word that they'd be going to Lincoln Center. "I just have a bad feeling, Chlo." Aubrey had said a few nights ago when she'd been unable to sleep. "I can't talk myself out of it. I just don't want to let Alice down."

Aubrey's sleeplessness is not anything new. After three years of living with the blonde, Chloe has learned how to tell when there's something on Aubrey's mind and when she spends all night tossing and turning it's a pretty good sign that something is bothering her. Of course, this didn't bode well for Chloe, who had been sharing a bed with her the night before. Aubrey had been fidgeting in her sleep all night, constantly changing positions in an attempt to get comfortable (which had never happened unfortunately). The other two Bellas who had been sharing the room with them hadn't been bothered at all, of course, so only Chloe and Aubrey woke up late and didn't make it to Alice's morning "pep talk" until it was almost over. Chloe is pretty sure that Alice's glare can cut through diamonds.

"She'll be gone in a few short months." Chloe had reminded Aubrey as they headed back to their hotel room to change and do their hair and makeup. "And then we'll be running the Bellas."

Aubrey had sighed and nodded. "You're right. We don't have to listen to her shit anymore. And we'll be nothing like Alice."

In spite of a rough start, Aubrey seems to calm down as she does her hair and makeup and she seems cool as a cucumber during the ride to Lincoln Center. But as soon as they walk through the doors and into the lobby packed with spectators and other acapella groups, her face goes white and her hand tightens around Chloe's.

"Ow." Chloe pulls her hand free without thinking, pretty sure that she heard bones crack. "Bree, what the hell?" She looks over at her friend and barely has time to register the expression on Aubrey's face before the blonde breaks away from the rest of the group and disappears into the crowd.

Chloe feels her heart sink a little. She's willing to bet their future trophy on the fact that Aubrey just made a mad dash to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, so is Alice. The brunette's eyes narrow and since Aubrey is no longer around, her glare fixates on Chloe. "Your friend better have her shit together before we go on stage." Alice snaps. "I knew letting you two into the Bellas was a bad idea."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Maybe if you weren't so hard on her it wouldn't be a problem." She points out. She knows talking back to Alice only leads to trouble but…only two more months and then she never has to see Alice and her stupid pinched face again.

"I didn't hear anyone complaining when I got us here." Alice crosses her arms over her chest. "Are we here to win or cry in the bathroom like little girls?"

It takes Chloe a minute to realize that Alice actually wants an answer. "Uh…win?"

Alice narrows her eyes. "That's right. So you two better not screw this up for us. Or with the aca-gods as my witnesses, I swear I will rip your vocal chords out with my bare hands."

Chloe arches an eyebrow. "Wow."

She turns away from the group, intent on finding Aubrey but Alice's voice stops her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Well, I was just-" Chloe points in the direction she assumes the bathroom to be but Alice doesn't give her the chance to finish.

"Oh no. We need to start warming up. Aubrey knows how to find her way back without you holding her hand." Alice snaps and a few of the other girls giggle and look at Chloe through narrowed eyes, their expressions matching their leader's.

Chloe huffs out a breath but follows Alice and the other Bellas to the check-in table and then backstage where there are a dozen other groups gathered together, running through scales or practicing their numbers in whispered voices. Alice leads them through their vocal warm-ups but Chloe keeps glancing around, looking for Aubrey.

Once they've completed all their warm-ups, Alice regards the girls arranged in front of her. She purses her lips when her eyes fall on Chloe; this gesture does nothing to help the whole sucking-on-a-lemon thing. "Oh for Christ's sake. Did she drown or something? Just…go find her." She waves her hand dismissively. "I knew I shouldn't have given her the solo."

Chloe turns and makes her way through the groups of people until she's in the lobby of Lincoln Center once more. She pushes her way through the crowd until she gets to the bathroom, which is empty aside from one frazzled looking Aubrey standing in front of the mirror with her hands gripping the sink so tightly that her knuckles are white. She turns when Chloe enters and an expression of relief crosses her face. "I don't think I can do this."

"Yes you can." Chloe nods, walking over to the blonde. "You can definitely do this. You're Aubrey Posen, you can do anything."

Aubrey tries to force a smile on her face but it doesn't quite come across. "I just…every time I think about performing I start to feel sick and I…it didn't used to be like this. I used to love going out on stage. Now I just can't breathe…"

Chloe gives her a reassuring smile. "Well, your scarf's just too tight, that's all." She assures her friend, reaching up and untying the yellow scarf, setting it aside. "There. Take a deep breath, Bree." Aubrey does as she's told. "You're going to be amazing. Okay? Alice gave you that solo for a reason."

Taking another deep breath, Aubrey nods. "You're right. I can do this. And when we win that first place trophy, my father will see that the Bellas aren't completely useless after all."

"But even if we don't win, we still made it this far." Chloe points out and Aubrey nods but Chloe can tell that her heart isn't in it. "Are you okay?"

Aubrey nods once more, reaching over and taking Chloe's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. "Thank you." She says softly. "I…I'd be such a mess without you."

"Me too." Chloe tells her friend. "Trust me." She links their pinkies together, something they've been doing since the early days of their friendship. "We are going to be aca-amazing."

Aubrey's smile becomes more genuine. "Totes."

They rejoin the rest of the Bellas just as the Treblemakers are preparing to take the stage. It's nice to see Alice's hatred trained toward someone else for once.

Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. She turns away from the stage and the expression of disgust on her face only increases when she looks at Aubrey. "Aca-'cuse me Aubrey. Where is your scarf?"

Aubrey's hand flies up to her neck, which is painfully bare. Her eyes grow wide and her mouth goes dry. "I…"

"That scarf represents the sisterhood of the Bellas." Alice takes a step toward her, her eyes narrowing. "You received that scarf on the night you took your sacred oath to uphold the values and prestige of the Bellas. Does that mean nothing to you?" Aubrey quickly assures her that it does mean something to her. "And how do you propose we go out on stage if we're not all perfectly matched?"

Suddenly Aubrey feels the press of fabric in her other hand and she swallows, holding up the scarf for Alice to see. "It was in my pocket." She mumbles. Her eyes flick toward Chloe, who gives her a reassuring smile.

Alice narrows her eyes but she quickly finds a new target. "Are you fucking serious." She snaps at Chloe. "Is this some sort of joke to you? Where is _your_ scarf?"

Chloe lifts her chin defiantly as she looks at Alice. "I left it in the bathroom."

Aubrey looks over at her friend but she doesn't say anything; she just ties Chloe's scarf around her neck.

"You better get that scarf _now_." Alice takes another step toward Chloe. "You have ten seconds. Run."

Chloe turns around and rushes through the crowd, running as quickly as she can in her heels and pencil skirt. Thank God for all the cardio Alice always made them do. And there's Aubrey's scarf, still sitting by the bathroom sink. She barely slows as she grabs the article of clothing, spinning around and running back toward the waiting Bellas.

Alice snatches the scarf away from her, continuing to ream both Chloe and Aubrey out as she ties the scarf around Chloe's neck, pulling it tight enough to pinch the skin.

"My dad always says 'if you're not here to win, get the hell out of Kuwait.'" Aubrey tells Alice proudly, as though that piece of advice somehow makes sense in this situation.

Alice just glares at her. "Has your dad ever told you to shut up?" She turns away from them, joining the rest of the less disappointing Bellas.

Aubrey glances down at the floor. "Yes." She mumbles, even though she's pretty sure the question was rhetorical. With Alice, you never can tell for sure.

Chloe reaches out and links their pinkies together once more. Aubrey looks over at her, a grateful expression on her face. "It's going to be okay." Chloe assures the blonde.

Of course, she's wrong about that. But it was a nice sentiment.


End file.
